Department of Construction & Wood Technology Education
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- ItemAssessment of Safety Practices and Injuries Associated with Wood Processing in a Timber Company in Ghana(Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology, 2015-01-10)This paper reports the assessment of safety practices and injuries in a timber company in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. Data were collected from 300 respondents at a sawmill in Ghana using a 5-point Likert-type scale questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the data analyses. The result indicates that the mean rating of the respon dents on their use of personal protective equipment ranged from 1.09 to 2.51. This implies that the workers of the sawmill rarely or never wear: gloves, overall, goggles, face shield, nose and mouth mask, earplugs or helmet during wood processing. Additionally, the mean ratings of the respondents regarding safety practices, machine and maintenance ranged from 2.42 to 4.03 with three out of the eight items having mean ratings higher than the theoretical mean of 3.0. The rat ings of the respondents of the saw doctoring department on their practice of safety on machine and maintenance were significantly higher than those of the other departments. The result of the study further suggests that the workers of this sawmill do rarely report of: skin irritation/derma titis, eye irritation, lack of appetite, arm/leg amputation, neck pains, hearing loss and poor eye sight problems. However, they usually report of headaches, nausea, respiratory problems, small cuts, back pains, and hip and leg pains. The outcome of this study therefore suggests that the management of the sawmill studied needs to do more to enforce practice of safety, especially the use of personal protective equipment, to reduce hazards and injuries associated with wood processing in the firm
- ItemTissue Proportion, Fibre, and Vessel Characteristics of Young Eucalyptus Hybrid Grown as Exotic Hardwood for Wood Utilization(Acta Silv. Lign. Hung., Vol. 17, Nr. 2 (2021) 121–133, 2021)This study sought to determine selected anatomical properties of young Eucalyptus hybrid species (E. grandis x E. urophylla) grown in Ghana. Images of fibres from macerated wood, and micro–sections produced with microtome were analysed using a compound digital microscope associated with Motic Image Plus Software (MIPS), version 2.0, installed on a computer. Images were initially processed using ImageJ software. Study data were analysed using an R statistical package. The overall mean value for fibre length was 907.67 µm, whereas double fibre wall thickness was 7.76 µm. Both variables had higher mean values in sapwood than in heartwood. Nevertheless, the found values decreased from the butt to the top portion. Statistically, axial and radial positions had no influence on fibre characteristics. In a 1 mm2 of the cross-section, the proportion of fibres was 38%, vessels were 19%, axial parenchyma were 22%, and radial parenchyma were 21% on average. Again, the radial and axial positions had no statistical influence on tissue proportion traits for the young eucalyptus wood. Mean value for vessel area was 9462.04 µm2 , whereas vessel frequency per mm2 was about 14. Vessels were significantly larger in area (range 9982.50 – 13544.41 µm2 ), yet reduced in frequency (range 6 – 17 per mm2 ) for sapwood. In heartwood, vessel area was comparatively smaller (range 6321.15 – 7816.69 µm2 ), whereas their frequency was high (range 15 – 18 vessels per mm2 ). Axial and radial position had statistical influence on vessel frequency and area for the young Eucalyptus grown in a plantation in Ghana.
- ItemTissue Proportion, Fibre, and Vessel Characteristics of Young Eucalyptus Hybrid Grown as Exotic Hardwood for Wood Utilization(Acta Silv. Lign. Hung., Vol. 17, Nr. 2 (2021) 121–133, 2021)– This study sought to determine selected anatomical properties of young Eucalyptus hybrid species (E. grandis x E. urophylla) grown in Ghana. Images of fibres from macerated wood, and micro–sections produced with microtome were analysed using a compound digital microscope associated with Motic Image Plus Software (MIPS), version 2.0, installed on a computer. Images were initially processed using ImageJ software. Study data were analysed using an R statistical package. The overall mean value for fibre length was 907.67 µm, whereas double fibre wall thickness was 7.76 µm. Both variables had higher mean values in sapwood than in heartwood. Nevertheless, the found values decreased from the butt to the top portion. Statistically, axial and radial positions had no influence on fibre characteristics. In a 1 mm2 of the cross-section, the proportion of fibres was 38%, vessels were 19%, axial parenchyma were 22%, and radial parenchyma were 21% on average. Again, the radial and axial positions had no statistical influence on tissue proportion traits for the young eucalyptus wood. Mean value for vessel area was 9462.04 µm2 , whereas vessel frequency per mm2 was about 14. Vessels were significantly larger in area (range 9982.50 – 13544.41 µm2 ), yet reduced in frequency (range 6 – 17 per mm2 ) for sapwood. In heartwood, vessel area was comparatively smaller (range 6321.15 – 7816.69 µm2 ), whereas their frequency was high (range 15 – 18 vessels per mm2 ). Axial and radial position had statistical influence on vessel frequency and area for the young Eucalyptus grown in a plantation in Ghana